PRESIDENT MARCOS: Dahil ang, ang problema dito is actually – surplus. Kagaya ng nabanggit ko sa speech ko, halimbawa dito sa Negros there is a surplus kasi maraming solar, pero hindi nailalabas lahat. It’s a stranded power. So, ‘yun mailalabas na natin not only for, if you look at the map, ang linya, goes from Panay Island across Negros tapos submarine cable hanggang Cebu.
So, ibig sabihin that the transmission for that whole area, that transmission line will service is now aligned together. Lahat. Marami rin kasi ‘yun. Maraming cooperative, maraming iba’t-ibang power producers. Lahat ngayon ‘yan will be consolidated into this network around the transmission network that NGCP has just put up.
Q: ‘Yung transmission development plan, anong order niyo sa DOE to ensure na maayos ‘yung transmission?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, I think, transmission, kaya nga ganito ‘yung ginagawa namin, minamadali talaga namin, trying to do it as quickly as possible because marami sa program ng NGCP natulog nang matagal. So, we’re doing everything that we can in the government side also na para matapos na ‘yung proyektong iyon. Some of them are many years behind schedule already.
So, we have to play our part also that, we, yun na nga ‘yung sinabi ko ‘yung mga permitting, ‘yung mga ECC, ‘yung mga permits ng ERC etc., pati ‘yung pricing, all of these things we try to do it much, much more quickly. Before it took, it’s been taking two to three years. It should take much less than that. So, we’re streamlining the system.
Q: Sir, can I ask a local question, sir? The Negros Island region been passed in both Houses of Congress, and has been sent to your office for signing. Will it be approved?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: I think, it makes sense because it’s very difficult for Oriental to be, and be serviced in a regional center. So, kailangan talagang maayos ‘yan. Matagal nang problema ‘yan. Until we can consolidate, I can put it all together properly, and right now hindi pa ganun.
It is very hard to bring government services to the people. And, that’s the reason behind the regional, the push for making it a single region so that may regional office siya na sarili. And it’s probably a good idea even if only for that –
Q: So, you will sign na?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yeah, I think, I will sign it.
Q: Mr. President, marami na pong lugar ‘yung nag-deklara ng state of calamity dahil sa El Niño, at ang sabi po ng Task Force ay by end of April baka nasa 80 provinces na maapektuhan. May plano po ba kayo na mag –
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Actually, ang katotohanan niyan, lahat maapektuhan. Kahit gaano kalala ang magiging effect ng El Niño. It’s really, ang mga probinsya sa Western side na tinatamaan, Western Luzon tapos dito, Region 6. So, those are the areas nag declare ng [state of] calamity.
But the other areas, although ramdam pa rin, hindi naman critical. As a matter of fact, kasi nag-lagay nga tayo ng mga dam. Patuloy nating inayos ang ating irigasyon, we should, and we are trying new techniques of planting. We are harvesting more palay now than we did last year despite the El Niño. So, it is taking effect.
So, those areas na talagang hindi maabot ng patubig. Those are the areas that we look at. But we, we look at them by area. Hindi ito, iba-iba ang problema sa bawat lugar eh. Hindi naman pwedeng shotgun lang, one size fits all no. It has so, we look at each area and see what it is that they need. So, that’s what we are, that’s the way we are handling local state of calamity that the local governments are declaring.
Q: There is a request from Negros for cloud seeding, sir.
Q: Mr. President, can we get your reaction regarding po sa request ni Pastor Quiboloy na pwede niyo raw pong i-garantiya na hindi makikialam yung US sa kaniyang legal battle bago niya raw harapin ‘yung kaniyang mga kaso dito sa bansa?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: It seems to me a little bit tail wagging the dog, ang tawag na siyang mabibigay ng kondisyon sa gobyerno dun sa kaso niya, akusado siya sa warrant of arrest. So, I mean, we will, we will exercise all the compassion.
To Pastor Quiboloy, we’ve known him for a very long time. Ang maipapangako ko all the proceedings will be fair. Now, as to the involvement of the United States malayo pa ‘yan eh. That’s going to take years, yet. So I don’t think that’s something he needs to worry about, quite frankly.
Q: How about sa pag-balik ni Congressman Teves? Ano maipapangako ng gobyerno sa kaniya?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: The same thing. Wala namang kami, sa lahat ng mga sinasabi ni Teves na takot siya sa buhay niya. Wala kaming report na ganun. Walang nagbabanta sa buhay niya.
Q: Mr. President, this is also on another issue. What is your assessment on the conducted multilateral maritime cooperative activity in the West Philippine Sea between the Philippines, Australia and Japan. And, what’s your reaction with China performing a simultaneous combat patrol in the area of its own.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Far for the course. The cruises that we are doing, something has been planned for a long time. It has, the reports, the interim reports that I am getting is that very useful talaga in terms of the interoperability so that each Navy knows how the other Navy operates, number one; and secondly that they learn how to operate together.
So, maganda naman daw ang takbo. That’s the usual reaction from the PLA. Maglalabas na sila ng kanilang barko. So, it’s almost normal already for us, unfortunately.
Q: With this activity, maiwasan na natin ‘yung incidents aggregated by China?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: I sincerely hope so. I really do. I really do, but again. So, we are trying everything. We still continue to talk at a ministerial level, at a sub-ministerial level, at a people-to-people level. Lahat ng maaari nating gawin, ginagawa natin para kausap ang Chinese leadership, ang Beijing, makausap sila na ‘wag na natin masyadong papainitin pa at mag-uusap tayo nang mabuti para walang banggaan, walang canon, walang water cannon, hindi na mabalik sa ganun.
Q: Sir, last question. Medyo lighter lang. Busy kayo, sobrang busy kayo sa schedule. Tanong ko sir, may time pa po ba kayo mag date ni First Lady?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Wala, this last. Dalawa na miss namin ang date namin. [laughter] So, kailangan akong mag-ano, kailangan akong babawi pag-balik ko galing sa States. Nagtatampo na sa akin.
Q: Sir, when are you scheduled to open the pilot for the 4PH Housing in Bacolod?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: You will have to ask the Mayor. I don’t know when the, when we will open it. Kailan ba ang schedule niyo?
OFFICIAL: We’re trying to finish as much buildings as we can, and hopefully by next month or the month after that.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: That soon?
OFFICIAL: Maaga po kami nagsimula.
Q: Then, you will come back, sir?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Bacolod kasi was the number one who entered into an MOU with the DHSUD. So, kaya medyo na, they got the jump on the other projects.
Q: Sir, yung power generation na binabanggit mo kanina sir. ‘Yung power generation in-Island, anong, bakit kailangang gaiwn ‘yun?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Kasi, mayroon na tayong transmission. Mayroon na tayong transmission dapat mayroon tayong power. Walang silbi ‘yung transmission line na napakaganda, na napakahaba, wala tayo namang nagpakukuhaan ng power. So, maganda naman kasi, ang immediate diyan, mabilis ang wind, mas mabilis pa solar. ‘Yung mga iba kailangang pag-aralan, mahabang proseso. But we, in that sense, we are lucky in the Philippines where solar is appropriate anywhere in the Philippines, kahit saan mo ilagay, bagay. So, kaya I am sure that all of you are experiencing it, dumadami talaga ‘yung solar projects na maya baterya. Iba-ibang system ginagawa. So, we are encouraging them to do some more.
Salamat. Thank you.
—END—
